Sustainability

Back in the day, as a young chef striving to create a first rate restaurant, one could easily grow frustrated: the finest ingredients were hard to find, rarely organic, and the supply chain was inconsistent at best. José Illingworth had been set on following the footsteps of many such chefs in a competitive world that lacked so much in order to truly jump to the next level of culinary excellence. He faced a choice: keep chasing aspirations in the kitchen, or change the system from within. José chose the latter. Setting aside his chef’s ambitions, he founded Cultiva Ecuador to ensure restaurants could access the traceability, quality, and excellence needed to elevate the country’s culinary scene.

What began as a personal frustration became an act of vision and solidarity, one chef empowering others to achieve their dreams. Today, Cultiva is the heartbeat of Quito’s farm to table movement, praised by chefs nationwide. With chemical free harvests, over 20 species of edible flowers, and seasonal produce picked at peak quality, Cultiva supplies Ecuador’s finest kitchens and delivers across the country, bringing the true taste of the land to the country’s finest restaurants.

But Cultiva’s impact goes far beyond specialty produce. With a team of 15 people working tirelessly, day after day, they have transformed the very mechanics of Ecuador’s dining culture. In a country where sourcing is notoriously erratic, Cultiva has become the lifeline for chefs and restaurateurs. If a restaurant runs out of a product mid service, if a shipment is delayed or a supplier suddenly fails, Cultiva steps in, solving crises on the spot. For the best restaurants, this reliability is revolutionary.

This agility has made Cultiva more than a supplier; it has become a benchmark for excellence and a motor on which to run for restaurants, which now operate with greater ambition, knowing that consistency and quality in the supply chain is possible. In turn, Ecuador’s dining culture is maturing, edging ever closer to the standards of elite international gastronomy.

That is why, when considering this recognition, there was no hesitation. Everyone pointed to Cultiva: the company that has quietly, relentlessly, changed the rules of the game. Their recognition is not just deserved—it is crucial. It marks a milestone for Ecuador’s burgeoning culinary scene, a promise that the future of dining in this country will be more connected, sustainable, and exciting than ever before.